Countermeasure systems are employed by military vessels to confuse or otherwise frustrate the targeting systems of an approaching missile or similar threat. Countermeasure devices, such as flares, chaff, acoustic emitters, IR emitters, and the like, are deployed to present a false image (i.e., decoy) of the vessel to these targeting systems. The false image is presented so as to draw the threat toward the false image and, therefore, away from the actual vessel. The false image manifests sufficiently far from the actual vessel so that damage caused by the threat when it strikes the decoy is mitigated or avoided all together.
Modern missiles incorporate sophisticated sensor platforms in their targeting systems. Many of these sensor platforms are capable of sensing target signature information across a spectrum of signal types (e.g., radar, acoustic, thermal, etc.). In addition, many of these sensor platforms incorporate counter-countermeasure systems that can discriminate many countermeasure devices from an actual vessel based on the dynamic behavior of the signals it senses. It is necessary, therefore, for countermeasure systems to closely mimic the multispectral signature, shape, and behavior of an actual vessel.
Conventional countermeasure systems utilize arrays of missiles. Each missile in the array has a warhead that incorporates countermeasure devices. These systems have certain drawbacks that limit their effectiveness against relatively sophisticated sensor platforms.
One drawback relates to the limited flexibility of such systems. Specifically, the missiles in these conventional systems have a fixed position and launch angle. Furthermore, the propulsive force from the chemical propellant of each missile is not controllable. As a consequence, effective decoy placement requires that a vessel (e.g., warship, etc.) undergo complicated maneuvers prior to and after launch of the missiles.
A second drawback relates to missile signature. When the missiles launch from the countermeasure system, each chemical-propellant engine emits a characteristic signature that has thermal, aural, and visual aspects. In particular, the signature includes a thermal bloom, a cloud of smoke, noise, a thermal trail and a smoke trail. In most cases, the thermal bloom heats the area immediate to the launch area, which results in a residual local thermal signature.
A third drawback relates to countermeasure system downtime. In particular, after launch, the countermeasure launcher must be cleaned and reloaded, which renders the vessel relatively more vulnerable to attack.
Finally, in order to provide a convincing decoy, numerous countermeasure devices, including multiple device types, are required. Of course, as the complement of missiles increases, the size of the countermeasure system grows and contributes significantly to deck clutter, as well as increasing the complexity and cost of the countermeasure system.
There exists a need, therefore, for a countermeasure system that avoids or mitigates some or all of these problems.